I Am Legend: The chilling horror masterpiece that you won’t be able to put down

Richard Matheson

Sep 2011 · S.F. MASTERWORKS Book 2 · Hachette UK

About this ebook

The iconic science fiction vampire novel, adapted into the film starring Will Smith. The last man on earth is not alone . . .

Robert Neville is the last living man on Earth ... but he is not alone. Every other man, woman and child on the planet has become a vampire, and they are hungry for Neville's blood.

By day he is the hunter, stalking the undead through the ruins of civilisation. By night, he barricades himself in his home and prays for the dawn.

How long can one man survive like this?

The SF classic that inspired the blockbuster vampire movie starring Will Smith

Readers can't put down I Am Legend:

'A classic of several genres, sci-fi, horror, vampires, and post-apocalypse. I love the scientific rationalization of the classic vampire lore' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

'I certainly understand why Richard Matheson is regarded as a master of the horror genre and why even THE Stephen King looked up to him as an inspiration . . . If you like horror, suspense and the macabre, then my dear reader please give this book a try' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

'Less about vampires. More about mental breakdown. An excellent horror story' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

'Neville is a very interesting protagonist. You really want to root for him that he will survive. I don't want to spoil you, but the ending will definitely hit you like a one-two punch' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

'It's about a man dealing with stress, nightmarish circumstances and his will to not just live, but to survive. Matheson tells a tale of isolation, desperation, perseverance and ultimately, absolution' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

Ratings and reviews

Yeah it was decent enough and a quick read. It's more of a survival story than a horror to be honest and an interesting look into this genre....and yes, it's way better than the movie.

Picking this up was a shot in the dark but what a shot. This is a fabulous read and is the basis of the film of the same name. But very different from the film and much improved. Read this if you have any interest in science fiction, horror or shorter novels.

It's a decent story but it tended to drag a little toward the end, and I was looking forward to finishing it. The main protagonist wasn't particularly likeable, and unfortunately he takes up the majority of the story of course. Not sure I'll be reading it a second time

About the author

Richard Matheson (1926 - )
Richard Matheson was born in 1926. He began publishing SF with his short story 'Born of Man and Woman' which appeared in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction in 1950. I Am Legend was published in 1954 and has been adapted to film three times. Matheson wrote the script for the film The Incredible Shrinking Man, an adaptation of his second SF novel The Shrinking Man (published in 1956). The film won a Hugo award in 1958. He wrote many screenplays (including The Fall of the House of Usher) as well as episodes of The Twilight Zone. He continued to write short stories and novels, some of which formed the basis for film scripts, including Duel, directed by Steven Spielberg in 1971. Further SF short stories were collected in The Shores of Space (1957) and Shock! (1961). His other novels include Hell House (1971) (filmed as The Legend of Hell House in 1973), Bid Time Return (1975), Earthbound (1982) and Journal of the Gun Years (1992). A film of his novel What Dreams May Come (1978) was released in 1998, starring Robin Williams. A collection of his stories from the 1950s and 1960s was released in 1989 as Richard Matheson: Collected Stories.